From the tape to the Nobel Prize for Physics 2010

Two scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov of Manchester University, were honored to receive the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on creating graphene metamaterial - a material harder than diamond and possible Extremely good electrical and thermal conductivity.

Research on graphene materials has brought the Nobel Prize to two Russian scientists. (Photo: Sciencenews)

To discover graphene material, Russian scientists have used incredibly simple tools that surprised many people with sticky tape. Dr. Andrei Geim and Konstantin Novoselov and his colleagues at Manchester University, put the piece of graphite on the tape, stuck the ends of the tape together, then opened the tape .

This process is repeated many times to make the piece of graphite separated layer by layer. Later, the scientists dipped the graphite into silicon, and obtained the thinnest graphite layer, the thickness of a carbon atom. As a result, the team created a material stronger than diamond and has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity.

" We use duct tape to separate graphene from graphite on the tip of a pencil. The tape is attached to the tip of the pencil, then opened. Then we repeat this action about 10 to 20 times with the grain. small was separated from the pencil tip , 'Professor Geim told the Sciencewatch website recently.

The graphene material is assessed to be even harder than diamond and extremely durable. A 28km long steel wire will break itself if it is suspended vertically, while a graphene wire indicates a break in the same condition at a length of over 1,000km.

Scientists believe that in the future, graphene will most likely replace silicon in transistors that are commonly used in microcomputers and electronic devices. Semiconductor devices made of graphene have a close-close speed of 100 times faster than today's most sensitive semiconductor.

Some countries have even thought of the idea of ​​creating a 'graphene valley ' like the Silicon Valley in the United States today. If this idea comes true, this will be a premise to create a new network in the world electronics industry.